


Hello Little One

by bigbangtheory123



Category: The Big Bang Theory (TV)
Genre: Birth, F/M, Friendship, Love, Parenthood, Shamy fluff, Shamy love, Waterbirth, labor, shamy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-27
Updated: 2020-05-27
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:46:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,874
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24410782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bigbangtheory123/pseuds/bigbangtheory123
Summary: The birth of Amy and Sheldon’s first baby.Originally posted on FF.net
Relationships: Amy Farrah Fowler/Penny, Sheldon Cooper/Amy Farrah Fowler, Sheldon Cooper/Penny
Comments: 3
Kudos: 32





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone, 
> 
> I have already posted this story on FanFiction.net but have been really struggling to get to grips with how it all works so thought I would try my luck here.
> 
> I have been a Big Bang theory fan since day one and been writing for the past two years but never posted. I have had this sat around for ages, I’ve taken bits away, added bits and played around with it so many times. Before now finally deciding to bite the bullet and post. 
> 
> I have part 2 to this ready if any of you are interested.

Penny stood at the kitchen island in Amy and Sheldon’s apartment, watching as a very heavily pregnant Amy paced the width of the living room back and forth. Glancing down at the two mugs of peppermint tea in front of her, the dark green water still very slightly rippling from where she had stirred the contents a few moments ago; she internally debated what to do.

She knew Amy was a little annoyed that she had cut their lunch date short. It had been a date in Amy’s diary that she had really been looking forward to. It was something that they always did together before she became pregnant. It just brought back a sense of normality. It wasn’t that she didn’t enjoy being pregnant, she did, more than anything and she was so excited to be a mother she couldn’t put it into words, but ever since people had found out she was pregnant they had treated her differently. She was looking forward to just one more lunch date with her bestie before her baby arrived.

“Please, sweetie. Let me ring him” Penny pleaded from where she was stood in the kitchen, hugging the mug in her hands. The freshly brewed beverage providing her with some warmth on this mid November afternoon.

The contractions had started around two hours ago, they were currently very mild and somewhat irregular between 15 - 20 minutes apart. Amy didn’t voice the fact that the pains she was feeling had been present since the early hours of the morning, she decided to keep that information from Penny, just like she had done this morning with Sheldon. 

“No, it’s fine” she inhaled quickly as another pain struck her, 18 minutes since the last one, she was timing them now. She’d finally decided to get her head around the fact that this was actually happening and that timing the contractions was something she needed to do. “He’ll only panic and freak out” she spoke as she stopped to lean on a nearby bookshelf. Before she knew it Penny was at her side, mug discarded in the kitchen, gently placing a hand on her back. 

“You know he would want to know” she offered gently once she was sure the contraction was over, although Amy was still leaning on the bookcase her breathing had started to even out. 

“We don’t even know if this is the real thing yet, I don’t want to stress him out” Amy voiced, she knew that if Penny was to push her on the subject she would eventually snap.

“Amy, this is Sheldon we’re talking about. Whether we tell him now or when you’ve had the baby he’s going to freak out” she exclaimed waving her hands around. Amy knew she was protecting him, whilst she was still able to, before the pain became too much for her to even care about him, she had to. This was huge for him, a massive step, the biggest thing he had ever embarked on and Amy knew he was terrified so was she to a degree. “Sweetie, you need him.” 

Amy let Penny’s words sink in, she did need him, probably more than she was willing to admit. Yes, he would fuss, panic and make her feel like she had a child already to take care of but there was nobody else she wanted more holding her hand and telling her that everything was going to be okay. 

“Fine” Amy pulled herself up right, her hands returning to the bottom of her back that was still causing her pain. “Ring him, but tell him that he doesn’t need to rush, that the contractions are still really far apart and....” 

“Do you really think any of that will make a difference” Penny asked as she placed the phone to her ear. “As soon as the words Amy is in labour leave my mouth, he’ll be racing to get here” she smiled at the thought, she could almost picture a completely flustered, panic stricken Sheldon bursting out from his office and running down the hallway.

“I’m two weeks early, will you tell him...”

“Hey Sheldon” Penny chirped. Amy was cut off from explaining when Sheldon clearly picked up the phone at the other end. “No, we’re okay. We’re okay” Amy knew he would be freaking out already, she imagined it was pretty rare that Penny ever called Sheldon at work and knowing that on this particularly day she was going out for lunch with his heavily pregnant, very near to her due date wife, clearly set him on edge from the off. 

Penny turned on her heels and headed down the hallway, leaving Amy to her pacing or whatever it was that seemed to ease her pain. She didn’t want Sheldon’s worries to stress Amy out anymore than she already was, not that she was showing it but Penny could read her like a book, call it a woman’s intuition. 

“I need to tell you something” Penny started slowly “but you have to promise me that you’re not going to freak out.”

“Okay” he was already sounding very unsure of himself and his ability to remain calm when Penny finally told him whatever it was she was hiding.

“Amy’s in labor” she thought it would be easier to treat this like a band aid and rip it off straight away, there was no point in getting him to sit and insisting that he stayed calm. She just got on with it.

“W...w...w...” he stuttered his heart suddenly racing a mile a minute. He couldn’t get his words out, he didn’t even know what he wanted to actually say. 

“It’s okay“ Penny soothed. “The contractions....”

“She’s having contractions!”

“Yeah sweetie that’s kind of how labor works” she regretted her sarcastic comment when she heard his heavy breathing down the line. “The contractions are pretty far apart at the moment, she’s told me to tell you not to rush” Penny explained hoping very slightly that this would put his nerves at ease.

“Is she okay?” he asked and Penny’s heart melted at how genuinely concerned he sounded. 

“She’s doing fine sweetie. She’ll be okay” 

“Okay” she could hear him taking deep breaths. “I...I need to be there. I should be there. I’m on my way” he was thinking out loud. Penny went to speak again, she just want to reassure him but she heard the phone click signalling that Sheldon had hung up. 

“He’s on his way” Penny announced as she skipped back into the living area, bouncing down the few steps that joined the open plan living room and kitchen to the hallway. Amy, who was still pacing the living room, looked up at Penny blowing her dark hair out of her face. 

“I told you to tell him not to rush” Amy sighed. 

“Babe, do you really think I managed to get that far into the conversation”

“Is he okay?” Amy asked with a slight hint of a smile, she didn’t know why but the flustered state she knew Sheldon would be in right now she found a little amusing. 

“Panicking” Penny decided to be honest. “But he was more worried about you and getting here.” 

“Okay” Amy inhaled sharply feeling another contraction starting, tightening and searing pain. She stopped abruptly finding herself stood behind the couch, she rested her hands upon it, the couch a sturdy object to lean upon. Having something to lean against seemed to really help. 

“Do you need me to do anything?” Penny asked quickly as she moved closer to her side, she felt helpless just standing there watching. 

“No, no” Amy removed her hand from the sofa, waving it around, dismissing Penny’s request. “I’m...okay....I’m...actually can grab a....stop...watch” Amy spoke through each punctuated breath. She was thankful at this point that Penny knew where Sheldon kept his stop watches, yes, plural. He possessed more than one. “Need..to properly...time them” she exhaled shakily. 

“It’s okay, I got this. You just keep on breathing” Penny urged as she rushed over to Sheldon’s desk placed in the corner of the room where she began routing through the drawer. “Got it” she exclaimed feeling fairly proud of herself, holding the stop watch up in the air. 

“I think that one was sixteen minutes” Amy looked up at the clock, she had been trying to make the effort to time them using the huge clock in the kitchen knowing an accurate time was pretty important.

“It’s over, but I didn’t get to time it” Penny pouted.

“They’ll be a next time, don’t worry” Amy stated as she patted her friend on the shoulder. Amy exhaled a breath she didn’t know had been holding as she placed a hand upon her stomach, feeling her baby girl moving and kicking beneath her palm. It saddened her to know that these next few moments would be her last few moments pregnant, she didn’t know whether she or Sheldon would have anymore children, right now they just wanted to get through the first one. 

“I can’t believe you’re about to be a mommy” Penny smiled upon noticing Amy tentatively resting a hand upon her bump.

“I know” Amy was so content and Penny loved seeing her so happy, she couldn’t quite believe Sheldon Cooper was responsible for that. “It’s such a strange feeling knowing that she’s finally going to be here. She’s just been this little black and white image on a screen for so long and now we’re actually going to see what she looks like” the love that emitted from her voice when she spoke about meeting her baby girl filled Penny’s heart with so much warmth, it made her incredibly emotional. 

“I can’t wait to meet her” every word she meant. She couldn’t wait. Amy smiled a small smile that reached her eyes making them sparkle with sheer adoration.

“I feel like I should be doing something” she eventually announced. “Pacing the living room is just going to tire me out” it was upon mentioning being tired that Penny had the brainwave that she should sleep and get some rest while she could. The contractions were far enough apart to allow her at least fifteen minutes and they didn’t seem to be causing her too much pain, who knows, she could even sleep through them.

“You should get some rest” Penny suggested.

“You sound like Sheldon” she continued to rub her bump affectionately.

“No, I mean it. Sleep. If this is labor, you’re going to need as much energy as possible, you need to sleep while you can” Penny explained. Amy stood contemplating Penny’s proposition, she wanted to argue but she knew better than anyone how the brain reacts when sleep deprived, team that with the incredible pain she knew she was going to be and she knew Penny was right.

“Are you sure? I feel guilty, this was supposed to be our day together” Amy knew how silly she sounded but she felt rude just going off to bed.

“Sweetheart, you’re having a baby” Penny smiled. “You go. Take the stop watch with you to time the contractions” Penny took the item from around her neck and handed it over to Amy. “I’ll stay until Sheldon turns up, okay” their hands were still touching from when Penny handed over the stop watch, she gave Amy’s hand a gentle, reassuring squeeze.

“Thank you” Amy whispered quietly, she knew if she spoke anymore she would begin to feel increasingly emotional. “When Sheldon gets here” she started. “Can you take care of him?”

“Sure” Penny nodded. She knew that despite all the pain and worry, her main concern was Sheldon and how he would cope with this unknown situation. It had been her main concern from the start. 

***

Half an hour after Amy had gone to get some well needed rest, a very flustered and panicked looking Sheldon burst through the front door. He stood in the doorway, gasping for breath, scanning the room looking for his Amy. All he could see was Penny snuggled up on their couch, a mug clutched in her hands and a magazine draped across her lap. 

“Hi sweetie” Penny smiled as she closed the magazine and reached across to place the mug on the coffee table. 

“Where is she? Where’s Amy?” he asked. He was suddenly wondering whether this had all been a joke, where was his wife. 

“She’s gone to get some rest” Penny explained gently. “I told her to sleep while she can” she saw him visibly relax as he nodded. “You should probably do the same” she suggested. 

“Is she okay?” he asked as he moved over to the couch and sat himself down next to her. He was twiddling his fingers and thumbs a nervous habit that Penny had grown accustomed to over the years. 

“She’s doing fine” she nodded with a smile. “Sweetie” she reached across placing her hand on his own, putting a stop to his twitching. “Let me make you a tea, yeah?” she asked. 

“Okay”

Sheldon sat in silence as Penny made his tea in the small kitchen area. Now she was no longer sat next to him, he found himself twiddling again and nervously jiggling his leg. For some reason, now was when the reality of fatherhood dawned upon him, hitting him like a train. 

“Penny, can I ask you a question?” he asked as she handed him his tea and he muttered a thank you.

“Sure” she returned to her position next to him, shuffling to get comfortable.

“I excel at many things in my life. I always know what to do to solve an equation or to create a theory. I don’t know how to be a father. What if I can’t do this?” 

“Sweetie” Penny smiled reaching across and placing her hand on his knee. “I don’t think anybody knows what they’re doing at the beginning. You just learn to adapt, life changes and you kind of just go along with it” she explained. It was obviously a common first time parent worry. 

“This is so important, I don’t want to mess anything up” he admitted. He had never really voiced the importance of his child to anyone before, he had, just like Penny said been going through the motions. She was important to him, so important. He didn’t want to disappoint his daughter.

“The fact you’re sitting here saying all of this shows that you’ve got this” Sheldon offered her an unsure smile. “Listen, sweetie, you know better than anyone how hard it is to grow up without a father, so I know and Amy knows it too that you’re going to be the best father you can be” she could feel her eyes filling with tears as she spoke. 

Sheldon hadn’t had the easiest life. Whenever he gave a way a little nugget of information about his childhood, she just wanted to hold him and make it all better. She knew he wouldn’t let his child, his daughter feel like that.

“Thank you”

They sat in silence for a while longer, sipping their tea as Sheldon contemplated the silence. He wasn’t sure how long it would be until the apartment was this quiet again, having a baby around was sure going to bring a level of noise neither he or Amy were really accustomed to. He thought about leaving the apartment to head to the hospital, this would be the last few moments he and Amy would be in this apartment together, just the two of them. In fact, it would never just be he and Amy ever again. 

“What are you thinking about?” Penny asked quietly. She could see he was in deep thought about something. 

“I don’t know” he sighed. “I’m thinking about when she’s actually here but we’ve actually got to get her here first. I don’t know how to be there for Amy. I’m not good with things like this.”

“Honestly, just having you here will be enough for her. Are you excited?” she asked giving him a gentle nudge and hoping to take his mind off of a topic that was clearly causing him to worry. 

“Yes. And terrified” 

Penny gave him a sympathetic smile. She understood. It was probably the strangest mix of emotions you could ever experience. For someone like Sheldon, she knew managing all of that was a hard job. 

“You know you should probably get some rest too. This could go on for a while” 

“The average labor takes eighteen hours” he repeated a fact he had read from one of the books he had been made to read. 

“Exactly and she’s going to need you” 

“I don’t think I can sleep. I’m too nervous” he was fidgeting again. “Maybe I could give it a try” 

*** 

It was two hours later when Sheldon felt his body being gently shaken awake. Without opening his eyes, he knew his surroundings weren’t quite right, he knew for sure he wasn’t in his bedroom. It took him a few moments to piece together what had been happening before he fell asleep. He was in the living room drinking tea with Penny, Amy was taking a nap because... upon realisation his eyes pinged open and he sat bolt upright on the couch, so that’s where he had fallen asleep. 

“Sheldon” Amy’s voice was gentle as she hovered over him. 

“Are you okay?” he asked rubbing his eyes roughly with his palm. He had to be awake. He had to be alert for whatever was to come.

“I’m okay” she nodded. Despite knowing that she had slept for even longer than him, she still looked tired. “My water just broke. I’ve managed to get changed in between contractions but...I don’t know what we should do” she was at a loss. Did they go into the hospital? She knew they shouldn’t really go in until her contractions were five minutes apart, but did her water breaking change all of this? It definitely changed how she felt, her composure, she was sure she was just Sheldon saying one wrong thing away from an emotional breakdown.

“How far apart are the contractions?” he asked, the news that her water had broken caused him to worry way more than he ever thought it would. He tried to keep rational, trying to keep his brain on the facts. 

“Eight minutes” she showed him the stop watch that up until now he didn’t realise she was holding in her hand. Eight minutes was much closer together than the sixteen minutes he had been told by Penny when he arrived back home. Penny. Where was she? He figured she probably left when he was asleep. 

“Okay” he nodded trying to keep calm. “We don’t need to go to the hospital until they’re five minutes apart” he spoke his thoughts out loud. “That’s what we’ve been told all this time, right?” 

“Right” she agreed. 

Amy started pacing around the apartment again, finding herself in the kitchen, circling the island as Sheldon watched on. 

“Oh look, Penny left us a note” she spotted the bright pink post it note stuck on the fridge as she passed. Penny’s handwriting instantly recognisable in the fancy scrawl.

_Good luck guys. You’ve totally got this. I’m so proud of you both and can’t wait to cuddle your little girl. If you need anything you know where I am. Love you guys. P x_

“She must have gone when I was asleep” Sheldon stood up from the couch, shaking off the blanket that Penny had obviously draped over him. Amy could feel it starting again, another contraction. Since going for her nap the pains had definitely intensified. Now that she was awake and conscious of the pain she had no idea how she managed to sleep through them. The pain tightened around her stomach, squeezing as it contracted, the pain radiating though her back and hips. 

“Oh” she groaned leaning on the fridge with one arm as the other pressed against her bump. 

“Are you experiencing a contraction?” Sheldon asked as he hovered nervously nearby, unsure what to do to help her, his heart was pounding. 

“Mmhmm” she managed to mumble as she took deep breaths through the pain, in through the nose and out through the mouth. She wasn’t sure if it was entirely helping but It gave her a focus and she knew it was the right thing to do.

“C-Can I do anything?” 

“Time it” she panted as she puffed air out through her cheeks. “We need to... know to how long they’re lasting” she rushed her words in order to get her sentence out. She was briefly aware of the commotion going on behind her as Sheldon fiddled with the stopwatch. 

“You just tell me when it’s over” he waited nearby, he didn’t know what to do. She seemed to be in control, in the zone and focused. He didn’t want to ruin that. But then did she want her back to be rubbed? Did she want his hand to squeeze? He had never been great at tuning in to people’s emotions, he couldn’t just simply tell what Amy needed. 

She focused on taking deep breaths, she was aware of Sheldon’s presence somewhere close by but she couldn’t focus on that, she couldn’t focus on him right now. Instead she tried to get herself into the zone, that’s what all the breathing experts had advised, she tried to think of something other than the pain, a happy place. 

“Okay” she exhaled once the pain was over. “How long was that one?” she asked turning her attention to Sheldon who was stood with the stopwatch clasped in his hand. 

“28 seconds. But we should add a few seconds on, it took me awhile to start timing” 

“It felt so much longer” she sighed, as she ran her fingers through her hair, pushing the hair away from her face. “We need to time how far apart they are too” she explained as she started the stop watch again. “We should have about eight minutes until the next one” she seemed fixated on the length of contractions and the time between them. At the moment it was her focus, it was taking her mind off of the pain and the worry that was slowly creeping in. 

“Are you okay?” Sheldon suddenly asked, the contractions had started so quickly, he didn’t really get the chance to check in with her. 

“Yeah” she nodded, although he didn’t quite buy it. He wasn’t great at reading expressions but he knew when his wife wasn’t quite right. “Can we do something to distract me. I think it could be a while before we hit five minutes.”

“Okay. Sure” 

They spent the next few hours drinking tea (Sheldon’s approach to anything that seemed to cause emotional distress) and playing board games. Amy enjoyed the distraction she was glad she had Sheldon there to take her mind off of things, surprisingly, he seemed to be relatively calm, maybe that’s because she was. He could cope as long as she could. 

The contractions were growing closer together, flitting between 8 minutes and 6 minutes, occasionally 7, Amy knew as soon as the stopwatch hit 5, they’d be off. Whenever a contraction hit, she was able to breathe though them, despite knowing full well that they were progressively getting worse, still she managed to keep calm.

“Oh Sheldon, here comes another one” she groaned as she stopped her pacing and crossed her arms on the kitchen island, burying her head into them. The board games had been abandoned in favour of walking up and down the living room, the pain in her back seemed to cause her more pain than the contractions, she needed to be upright and take the pressure off. The last contraction seemed to be not that long ago and left her in pain and gasping for breath, this one had also approached at quite a speed.

“Okay. Okay” he rushed to grabbed the stop watch that he had left discarded on the couch. He knew the contractions were getting closer but his eyes bulged when he saw it had been 3 minutes and 7 seconds since the last contraction. “What happened to 5 and 4?!” he exclaimed, his voice increasingly higher. He wasn’t sure he could do this, this was happening quicker than it should be. Quicker than he had anticipated.

“What...are...you talking about?” Amy panted as she raised her head from her arms, her eyes making contact with Sheldon’s panicked stricken face. 

“3 minutes” he held up the stop watch to show her. “They’re 3 minutes apart. We have to go to the hospital. We have to go” she was still trying to get to grips with the contraction wracking through her body, taking deep breaths when her body allowed her to. Surprisingly, Sheldon’s panic seemed to take her mind off of the pain, it gave her a different focus, one that up until now she wasn’t sure she could cope with. 

“Sheldon, we don’t have to go anywhere yet” she explained as she pulled herself away from the surface and straightened herself up. Maybe Sheldon’s panicked outbursts were her pain relief, she couldn’t quite remember the contraction she had just had or maybe that was down to the shock of being told how close they were, and that this was definitely happening and they needed to leave. “It could just be a fluke” she continued to explain. “Let’s just see what happens with the next one” she didn’t want to be one of those people that turned up to early and had to be sent home, when she left the apartment, she wanted to return with her baby. 

“See what happens. W-what if the next one is even closer? What if we don’t make it to the hospital in time and you....”

“Sheldon, breathe” Amy warned as she placed her hands on his shoulders, stopping his rambling and flaying arms.

***

**_Three hours later_**

****

It had taken some effort on Sheldon’s part to get Amy down the four flights in their apartment building. It had really been the only time he seriously cursed the elevator not working. They took their time, mainly because it was all they could do. Baby steps as Amy wrapped an arm around his waist and he gently guided her, they had to stop twice for the contractions and Sheldon very nearly had to pull over on the drive to the hospital as Amy was convinced she going to vomit.

Now here they were at the hospital. The contractions still three minutes apart however, they were intense and with each one Amy was amazed that her body could suffer this much agony and still be in one piece. Despite not becoming closer together yet, they were lasting much longer, each one lasting close to a minute, she really didn’t have much recovery time until the next one struck. 

The past few hours had been spent informing friends and family that their daughter was on her way, copious amounts of ice chips and the excruciating contractions. Amy was handling them well, she was breathing deeply and trying to focus on something other than the pain, this became increasingly difficult with each wave of pain. 

She was now only four centimetres dilated and currently sitting on a birthing ball at the side of the bed as her body lay draped upon it. Sheldon was sat beside her on a small plastic chair, his hand placed on the smalls of her back, gently massaging upon her request. Aside from that he hadn’t really done all that much, he was feeling incredibly overwhelmed, like he was deep under water and struggling to make it to the surface. 

Amy inhaled sharply as another contraction hit, her head turning away from Sheldon as her fingers knotted around the fabric of the sheets, her knuckles turning white as she audibly panted through the pain. This was different, so much more painful and unbearable. It suddenly all became too much for her, for a moment the resolve and composure that she had so desperately been clinging onto disappeared and she found herself crying. 

“Amy, are you crying?” Sheldon asked gently. He couldn’t see her face, in this position she would turn away from him every time a contraction hit. He wasn’t sure if it was her way of protecting him from seeing her in pain. With his hand placed on her back he could feel her visibly relaxing once the contraction was over but the gentle sobs that seemed to be shaking her body were a whole new thing he had to deal with. 

“Sorry” she apologised as she sat upright pulling herself away from the bed. Her cheeks were tear stained and her eyes were blotchy, Sheldon's hand remained on her back. “I just thought” she began wiping at her eyes, “I thought I would cope better than this.” There were so many things he wanted to say to her, he wanted to reassure her so much but he simply couldn’t find the words.

“Amy” he sighed, frustrated within himself. He was great with words or so he thought, why were they failing him now. She twisted her body round to face him, her hands reaching out for his arms. “I really want to help and support you through this, I just don’t know the right thing to say”

“You don’t have to say anything” she told him quietly. “Just having you here with me is enough” it sounded soppy and incredibly cliche but having her husband by her side, just knowing he was there in some capacity helped more than she ever thought it would.

“I just want you to know I’m trying” he hated the thought of Amy thinking that he didn’t care or wasn’t interested. He was, he just didn’t know how to express it.

“I know” she nodded her head and gave him a gentle smile, her eyes still glassy from tears.

“For what it’s worth, I think you’re being very brave” he spoke softly, although to him it didn’t feel enough, his words meant the world to her. It was his way, his ever so sweet way of letting her know that she was doing a good job. She needed to hear that. 

“You’ll make me cry again” she laughed gently wiping her eyes.

***

**_Ten hours later_**

****

“Oh god! Make it stop! Make it stop” Amy begged as she clung onto Sheldon. As the hours past and the contractions intensified they had taken to walking around the hospital, pacing the brightly lit corridors until they were sure they’d walked down every single one at least twice. It definitely killed some time, they both knew labor would take a while but the hours were slowly dragging. Once the contractions had grown so strong that Amy was struggling to breathe through them, they returned to their hospital room where they continued to pace. 

“Remember to breathe Amy” he reminded her, managing to find his voice. Over the past few hours she had relied on him much more to get her through it. They were now stood at the bottom of the bed, Amy’s hand placed upon his shoulder as his free arm supported her free arm holding her up and in place as she rocked her hips back and forth. 

“It hurts” she harshly panted as she spoke, the pain squeezing her muscles was excruciating. “I want an epidural, oh god Sheldon” she squeezed him hard as the pain peaked. “I need an epidural”

“Do you want me to get the midwife?” he asked, he was panicking now, his heart thumping in his chest and his throat dry as he tried to support Amy through this. 

“No” she gasped, her fingers digging into the skin of his shoulder. “Just wait until it’s over. I need you here” he could tell by her tone of voice that the contraction was nearly over, her words didn’t seem as rushed or panicked, her breathing was starting to slow and even out. 

It was almost as if the staff in the hospital knew, like they had a sixth sense and knew they were needed. As Amy was just coming down from the contraction, their midwife entered. She gave them both a small smile, sensing the commotion that had just taken place before making her way over to the machines monitoring Amy and the baby and jotting down her notes.

“How are we doing in here?” she asked cheerfully and far too sparky for either of their liking, they were both already exhausted. “It looks like the contractions have really picked up over the last few hours” she noted from the chart. 

“They have” Sheldon spoke for her. “Amy would like an epidural please.” 

“Of course” the midwife gave Sheldon a soft warm smile. She was experienced enough to know that Sheldon was a typical panickier, the first time dad she saw a lot. “Amy, darling” she spoke gently placing a hand on her back as she remained draped over Sheldon. “I can get the anaesthetist to come and administer the epidural for you but I am going to have to check you first” she explained. “I’m pretty sure that the reason for your intense contractions is because you’ve entered transition phase...” 

“But that means the baby could here in a couple of hours” Sheldon was freaking out, he had briefly read about transition in one of Amy’s books. He knew it meant the baby was close to being born. Amy was sure from where her head was resting against his chest she could hear his heart beating rapidly. 

“Exactly” their midwife smiled. “Which means it would be too late for an epidural.” 

“Too late!?” Sheldon exclaimed.

She was trying to balance the blow with the news that their daughter was well on her way however, this didn’t have the desired effect on Sheldon. 

“It’s okay” Amy lifted her head from Sheldon’s shoulder. “It’s okay, I’ve changed my mind. I don’t want it anymore” she breathed out slowly, the last contraction taking more air from her lungs than she’d realised. She knew more than anyone how much pain could control your brain, control your thoughts and feelings if not managed properly. She hated the fact that just for a small moment she had allowed it to get to her.

“But Amy, you’re in pain” Sheldon tried to reason with her. He hated seeing her like this, he wasn’t prepared. 

“I’m okay” she nodded, swallowing, her throat feeling dry and sore. “It was just a blip. I want to do this naturally. I can do this.” It had been her desire from the moment she was pregnant to attempt this as naturally as possible, she had lasted this long and was so glad she had changed her mind on the epidural. 

“You absolutely can” the midwife smiled, feeling proud of Amy’s sudden burst of confidence. “Now, you’re after a water birth aren’t you? Seen as this little one is well on her way, shall I get that set up for you? It’ll help with the pain too” 

“That would be great” Amy smiled. 

Their midwife, whose name Amy needed to make sure she learnt, walked off into the adjacent room. Amy remembered the tour of the hospital that they had had just a mere few weeks ago. The birth suite and pool facilities had been what confirmed her desire for a water birth even more. There was space for relaxing music and calming candles, she could have the peaceful, serene birth she was after. 

“Sheldon, I’m okay” it was as if she could feel the nerves, his fear emitting from him. “I’m okay” she told him again, his time lifting her head and looking deep into his blue eyes, god she hoped their daughter inherited those. 

“I don’t like seeing you in pain. I don’t know what to do” Amy found herself smiling and gently reaching up to massage his shoulders, even through her pain she wanted to ease his in some way. 

“You’re doing great” it sounded strange those words leaving her lips, she never really thought she would have to tell someone they were doing great whilst she was in labor, but he was. He really was. 

Amy shuffled backwards a little until she came into contact with the hospital bed, she perched herself on the edge of it. She was so small her feet barely touched the floor. Amy inhaled sharply as another contraction hit, they had given up timing the contractions hours ago but Amy knew they were getting closer. She wrapped her arms around Sheldon’s waist, hugging him close as she buried her head into his chest. Sheldon hugger her back, his chin resting on top of her head as his hand gently rubbed up and down her back. She was breathing through this one, heavy pained breaths, but she could manage. Hearing the running water from the room next door was surprisingly calming. She definitely felt more in control. 

When the contraction was over Sheldon felt it leave Amy’s body, her whole body relaxed in his arms as soon as he felt this he lowered his head to kiss the top of her head. Her hair smelt sweet, like the green apple shampoo she uses. She pulled her head away from his chest, her arms still around him but her head tilted, looking up at. 

The man who stood before was a completely changed man to the one she had fallen in love with almost eight years ago. He had changed in all the right ways and Amy’s love for him had grown as he allowed himself to grow. Now, here they were, about to welcome their first child into the world, it wasn’t that long ago when this was something Amy only dreamed of. Sheldon was never really the children type, he assured her he wanted children and the love he would have for their own children would be like no other but Amy was sceptical of it every actually happening. 

He had proved himself to be an amazing father to be, he was so attentive, so caring and compassionate. These were sides to Sheldon, Amy was yet to truly discover but their baby, their daughter brought it all out of him and she couldn’t love him more if she tried. 

“I love you” she whispered as she scanned his face, the way he was nervously nibbling his lip was so endearing. He smiled down at her. 

“I love you too” he lowered his head to gently kiss her lips. 

“Amy, feel free to come through whenever you’re ready” their midwife called through to them. Amy inhaled and then exhaled slowly.

“Another contraction?” Sheldon asked holding on to her shoulders. If that was the case they were literally seconds apart.

“No” Amy laughed shaking her head. “Not yet anyway. It’s just suddenly hit me that we’re having a baby” she knew it sounded stupid, she had been pregnant for nine months, she had felt sharp kicks and movements, she was currently suffering through the pain of labor but it was knowing that she was going to walk into that room, get in the tub and probably not leave until their daughter had been born. She voiced all of this to Sheldon who also suddenly became very aware that they were having a baby. 

“I feel like it’s just hit me to” he muttered, just like Amy aware of how crazy he sounded. “You ready to go through?” he asked.

“Yeah, I think so” Amy sighed taking a deep breath and reaching out for Sheldon’s hand. 

***

**_1 hour and 45 minutes later_**

It had taken small steps to get to the tub and one almighty contraction that left Amy sinking to the floor, her body unable to stand and withhold the pain. Thankfully Sheldon was there to hold her as upright as both of them could manage and reminded her to breathe. Once they’d reached the tub and Amy stepped in, it was heaven. The warm water was so relaxing, easing her tense muscles and making her whole body go lax. Sheldon had set to work on creating the perfect atmosphere Amy was after, the candles were lit and the calming music was playing through his phone. 

“What are you thinking about?” she asked Sheldon from where he was kneeling on the floor next to the tub. He was as close to Amy as he could possibly be without actually getting in the tub with her. She could tell he was deep in thought, his eyes darkened, eyebrows knitted together. 

“I’m okay” he tried to give her a reassuring smile along with a nod. “I’m just thinking about all of this. We’re going to parents” he sounded terrified but the small smile on his face conveyed his excitement. Amy’s words from earlier had really hit him, way more than he ever thought they would. Of course they were going to be parents, what did he think the past nine months had all been leading up to.

“I know” Amy smiled through her pain, her eyes sparkling like a million spotlights. She reached out for his hand, linking her fingers with his.

“Do you think I’ll be a good father Amy?” he asked. Sheldon Cooper, who excelled at every task ever given to him, had never once doubted his ability in anything. Amy cocked her head to one side, taking in his body language and facial expressions. 

“I think you’ll be great” she smiled gently as she gave his hand a squeeze.

“Do you think so? I really want to be” her heart swelled at how much all of this meant to him, how much of a good job he wanted to do. She knew that it came from the relationship he had had with his father, he had never really understood Sheldon and although Sheldon never doubted the love he had for him it was never really shown. He didn’t want that for their daughter, he wanted her to know every single day how loved she was, he just like his father, wasn’t sure how he would be able to convey that. 

“That willingness alone is why you’re going to be great”

“But I don’t know the first thing about babies” everything felt very real, yes he had known he was going to be a father for the past nine months but it was only now, now that he was faced with potentially meeting his daughter in a matter of hours that the responsibility of fatherhood dawned upon him. 

“I don’t either” Amy laughed. Sheldon had zero experience and from the neuroscience aspect Amy had a very small amount. She had read a million books on parenting, what the best way to give birth was to ensure bonding was successful, how long could you let them co-sleep with you? Did you even let them co-sleep with you? Do you soothe their cries or let them cry it out? Do you breast or bottle feed? It seemed from the books she had read everyone had their own a opinion on what made a ‘good’ parent. Amy knew that she just had to do whatever worked for them as a family, if something didn’t feel right for her or her baby then no matter what the books said she simply wouldn’t do it. She had things she wanted to try, some things she wanted to succeed in but her attitude to the whole thing was very laid back and go with the flow.

“You know I don’t even think I’ve ever held one. How do you hold them? They’re so wriggly and small...

“Sheldon” Amy started squeezing his hand hard as another contraction rippled through her body. Despite her pain she found it amusing the contraction cut off Sheldon from his rambling. Maybe their daughter knew what her dad was like already. 

“Are you having a contraction?” she didn’t reply, not verbally anyway, she just quickly nodded her head.

With one hand in Sheldon’s and the other braced against the tub, she found herself moaning through the contraction. It hadn’t been her approach so far but breathing just didn’t seem to be cutting it and her body allowed some low, long moans to escape.

“Breathe Amy, you need to breathe to increase your oxygen flow and allow your muscles to relax, remember that not breathing is going to make everything work much hard and you’ll grow tired” he explained using the only thing he felt confident in to comfort her. “Take deep slow breaths” he reached down and took her hand that was braced against the tub in his own, both of her hands locked in his. “If it helps, you can squeeze this one too” he offered. 

Amy started to take on board Sheldon’s instructions, her breaths weren’t exactly slow but she was breathing in and exhaling, puffing air out through her cheeks as her body worked with her strongest contraction yet. She found her hips involuntary swaying from side to side under the water to accompany the new wave of pressure that suddenly filled them. The seconds seemed to tick by before Amy finally loosened her grip on Sheldon’s poor hands, he hadn’t complained once but was now shaking them around as he tried to encourage the blood supply. 

“You need to be careful. If I can’t write equations with these hands what is the world of science going to become” he joked trying to lighten the mood, it seemed to work as Amy gave him a small smile and muttered an apology.

“That was a big one” she sighed as her lungs tried to fill with air. She crossed her arms, leaning them on the edge of tub as she rested her head upon them. She was exhausted, her eyes held a tiredness that he only saw present from severe lack of sleep, he was suddenly grateful to Penny for forcing the both of them to get some rest before they headed to the hospital. He had been so wrapped up in each moment, that he had failed to notice the hours slowly ticking by. They had been here for almost 19 hours. Amy had been in labour for 25. 

“I could tell”

“There was this pressure too. I don’t think it’ll be long until I need to push” her voice was now sounding sleepy, he wondered if she would cave in there and then, let her body succumb to its sleepy state right there in the water. This new information set Sheldon’s heart racing, he hated seeing her in pain but knowing it was only going to get worse was heartbreaking.

“Should I go and get someone?” he asked. The last thing he wanted was for her to start pushing with no medical staff around.

“Not yet” she shook her head from where it lay rested against her arms. “Can it just be the two of us for a little longer” she reached out again for his hand. 

“Of course” 

***

**_30 minutes later_**

****

Amy contractions had continued to increase as the minutes ticked by, just when she thought the contraction she had had was the worst one another came along to prove her wrong. She kept informing Sheldon that she could feel a load of pressure starting to build up, she knew from the books she’d read this meant she was close to pushing. 

A gentle knock at the door and their midwife, Hannah stepped inside to do a routine check. Amy was still in the same position she had been for the past half an hour, arms and head gently resting on the side of the tub as Sheldon knelt on the floor at her side. He knew after this his knees would be sore but he knew better than to complain about something like that given the circumstances. 

“Oh how lovely is this” she smiled as she walked into the small room and soaked in the atmosphere, the epitome of calmness and tranquility. Often people were determined to have births like this but through their own pain threshold or unforeseen complications it wasn’t possible. It was always very rewarding when she saw women achieving their dream births. “How are we getting on?” she asked kneeling down next to Sheldon and placing a hand on Amy’s shoulder. 

“Okay” Amy slowly nodded her head, not moving it from her arms. She would often consider this kind of behaviour rude, it was unlike her to not paint on a friendly smile and be incredibly kind however, she simply felt like she did not possess the energy to lift her head. How the hell she was going to push a baby out she had no idea. 

“Are the contractions getting stronger?” she asked, moving her hand up and down Amy’s shoulder in a gentle motion. 

“Yeah” she nodded. “I can feel pressure too”

“Okay. Am I okay to go ahead and check you?” aside from arriving at the hospital, Amy had avoided being checked throughout her labor. She knew it was important to now find out if she was able to push. 

“Mmm” she reached out for Sheldon’s hand as her dilation was checked. 

“You’re 10 cm Amy, ready to push” Sarah smiled, moments like this always excited her, watching someone bring life into the world would be something she would never get bored of.

“Really?” Amy asked lifting her head, her eyes meeting Sheldon who had visibly paled at the news, his heart was beating so fast in his chest that he thought everyone in the room would be able to hear it. He suddenly felt incredibly nervous, sick almost, sick with nerves and worry. 

“Yep, you’re all ready to have this baby” Sarah spoke as she she started to set up for the delivery. 

“We’re having a baby” her eyes were glazed with tears, happy of course, as she looked over at Sheldon. She took a deep breath and tried to compose herself. They were going to meet their daughter really soon and that filled herwith excitement and fear all at once. 

***

“That’s it Amy, keep pushing” Sarah encouraged as Amy gripped onto Sheldon’s upper arms, her head resting against his chest. She had been at this for the past 20 minutes, when each contraction hit she would push with a force that she didn’t know she possessed, squeezing Sheldon hard each time. “Baby’s nearly here Amy, I could see the top of her head with that last push” Sarah explained. 

With her head against Sheldon’s chest, she tried hard to try and catch her breath, her body rising and falling as she breathed. Sheldon, who had remained pretty quiet throughout most of this, bowed his head to place a kiss to the top of her head. 

“She’s nearly here” she muttered against his shirt. Sheldon was going to respond but a whimper from Amy brought him back to the moment, she was pushing again. “Oh oh” she cried for the first time, pushing herself further into Sheldon who felt himself tightening his hold on her.

“Good girl Amy, keep pushing through that pain, darling. Baby’s almost crowning” Sarah coached as Amy gave into the pressure and pushed, her mind and body was so clouded with pain she couldn’t focus on anything else.

“I’m so tired” she muttered to none in particular, she felt physically drained, exhausted beyond belief, she wasn’t even sure she could get through this. She didn’t know if her body could hold up and get her to the end of all of this.

“You’re doing a wonderful job, Amy” Sheldon whispered. It had really been his first words of encouragement since the pushing had started. She slid her hands down Sheldon’s arms, taking both of his hands in her and resting them on the edge of the tub. She pushed again, resting her forehead on their interlocked hands, she was squeezing them so hard Sheldon was sure she was going break his bones. 

“Okay good job, Amy. Breathe for me now sweetie, pant” Amy obliged panting harshly through the burning she could feel, her breath hitting against the skin of Sheldon’s hands. He too felt himself gripping onto her hands with the force she was inflicting upon his own.

“Oh I need to push” the urge Amy could feel was almost too much to resist, despite knowing how important it was to take this bit slowly, her body seemed to be demanding more and taking over.

“Amy” Sheldon spoke before Sarah could, he knew that right now she needed to breathe and he needed to help her with this. “Amy, look at me” she lifted up her head, their eyes meeting. “I know you really want to push but for this bit it’s really important that you breathe. Breathe slowly” he didn’t know where he had found the words from, why he suddenly knew this information but before he knew it he found himself gently breathing along with Amy, setting a pace for her to follow. “You’re doing so well” he smiled giving her hand another gentle squeeze.

The breathing pattern continued, it was probably only for a few more seconds but it felt like minutes had gone by before Amy was told to give another little push. She did this twice before Sarah announced that the baby’s head had been born. 

“Just a few more now Amy. When she’s born, I’ll pass her up through your legs is that, okay?” 

“Mmm” Amy nodded. This was it, now the end was in sight after nearly 27 hours in labour. Just a few more pushes and she would finally meet the little girl that had been living inside her for the past nine months. Her daughter. Their daughter. 

“She’s nearly here Amy” Sheldon smiled, his nerves about the birth now that it was nearly all over had started to fade. He was now filled with dread about meeting his baby. Amy looked up, pressing her forehead against his as she deeply inhaled and pushed as hard as she could, her face scrunched and eyes tightly closed. 

“Good girl Amy, she’s coming just one more really big push” Sarah announced.

“Come on Amy, just one more” Sheldon whispered. Amy gave one final push, she gave it everything she had and before she knew it, Sarah was telling her to reach down for her baby who was being past up to her.

Within seconds Amy released her grip on Sheldon’s hands, sat back on her heels and reached down under the water, her hands came into contact with her baby who she kept a gentle hold of and lifted up to the surface of the water. As soon as the baby was above the water, a loud wail pierced the air, Amy burst into tears, hugging their daughter close to her chest. 

“Oh my gosh, you’re here. You’re here” Amy kept her arms wrapped around her, she couldn’t believe she was here in her arms. She was everything she had ever wanted, everything she had ever hoped for. “Oh hi baby girl, hi” Amy cooed softly, as tears fell down her face, her hand gently stroking her back.

Sheldon was in a state of shock, he always knew the right thing to say, always had a smart answer for pretty much anything thrown his way but right now he was well and truly speechless. His wife had just given birth to his daughter and his world was spinning. 

Sheldon Cooper was now a father.


	2. Chapter 2

It couldn’t have been more than a minute since their daughter had entered the world. Sheldon remained frozen to the spot, he couldn’t find the words to speak. His eyes were focused on Amy in the pool, holding their little girl close to her chest. He couldn’t believe she was here, they had been waiting for her for so long and now here she was. 

“Sheldon” her voice broke him from his thoughts and brought him back to reality. Amy looked up at him, her eyes filled with tears, with one arm tightly wrapped around their daughter she outstretched her arm and took hold of Sheldon’s hand, squeezing gently. He brought her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it.

“I love you so much” he whispered. He had never seen her look so happy, her eyes held a sparkle that mimicked pure unconditional love and in that moment his heart swelled with more love for her than he had ever felt. 

“I love you too” more tears leaked from her eyes, their daughters cries had started to subside a little, her head pressed against Amy’s chest and her tiny hands balled into fists. Sheldon reached forward and gently stroked his finger down the back of his daughters head, she had a small tuft of dark hair, like their own, that swirled into a circle on the crown of her head. 

“Would you like to cut the cord?” Sarah asked Sheldon as she handed over the clamps, he knew it was something Amy had wanted him to do, he recalled her outlining it in her birthing plan. He hadn’t been keen on the idea back then and that hadn’t really changed now. 

“I...I...I don’t know how to do that” after what he had just witnessed Amy going through, the one thing she wanted him to do was a drop in the ocean in comparison. 

“It’s okay” she placed the clamps in his hands, the cold metal made him shiver. “You just cut here” she gestured on the umbilical cord to where he needed to cut, his hands were shaking, the more he tried to keep them still the more they shook. His daughter now seemed so peaceful against her mother, he didn’t want to disturb her or cause anymore cries.

“It won’t hurt her?” he asked, the notion of cutting something that was attached to his daughter didn’t quite sit well with him but with Sarah’s assurance he cut through the rubbery material and just like that the attachment to Amy was gone. She was now her own little person. 

“Now, I know you’re enjoying your cuddles but I‘m going to have to take her to be measured and weighed” Sarah’s voice brought Amy back to reality, she reluctantly handed over her baby girl who softly whimpered as she was taken from her mother. Amy missed her instantly, her arms feeling empty without her snuggled up in them. 

“She’ll be okay” Amy informed Sheldon, she noticed his eyes following Sarah across the room, his eyes not once leaving the doorway she had just stepped out of. “You can go with her, if you like” she couldn’t wipe the smile off her face, despite all the pain that she had just been through, she would go through it all again to feel this happiness and love. 

“No, I’ll stay with you” he placed his hands on her shoulders, his thumb gently stroking her skin. “I’m so proud of you Amy, you were incredible” Amy didn’t think his smile could get wider but in that moment it did, she could feel herself on the verge of tears yet again. 

“As were you”

“Me?! What did I do?” he seemed genuinely surprised by Amy’s admission. All he had done was be a hand for her to hold and occasionally mutter the odd word of encouragement. She really had done the hardest job of all, his respect for woman and his own mother had suddenly soared.

“You helped get me through it. I couldn’t have done this without you.

“I must admit, I was pretty scared” 

“You hid it well” Amy hated the thought of Sheldon being scared and not being able to comfort him. It was natural to be scared but the fact he had kept that emotion hidden from Amy in order to support her through the birth meant the world to her. “Thanks for getting me through it” she kissed him again.

15 minutes later

Amy had been helped out of the water, it had been her decision to move claiming that she was no longer comfortable and wanted to be on the bed. Sheldon helped her with this and made sure she took small steps, aware that she would still be in pain. He realised in that moment that as well as their daughter he also had to take care of Amy. She was recovering from something huge and Sheldon knew exactly what Amy was like, she would pretend it was nothing and want to soldier on through. 

After weighing the baby, a small 6lb 3oz and helping Amy dress her in her beautiful bright white baby grow Sarah left the new parents to enjoy these perfect few moments. Amy was currently sat up in bed, her baby girl asleep in her arms as Sheldon stood by the window quietly wrapping up his final phone call. He had spent the last few minutes, whilst Amy was busy dressing the baby, calling friends and family excitedly and occasionally emotionally telling them of his daughters arrival. 

“Is everyone okay?” Amy asked speaking in hushed tones in an attempt not to wake the sleeping baby in her arms. She wouldn’t really have minded if she’d woken up, she was totally in love and just wanted to spend every second staring at her. 

“Yes” Sheldon nodded, as he made his way towards the bed, standing at Amy’s side. “Everyone is very proud of you. Mum couldn’t stop crying. Are you doing okay?” he reached round behind her and started trying to plump up her pillows.

“I’m fine” she gently laughed at her husband fussing. “Okay, I’m tired and a little sore” she rethought her answer when Sheldon gave her his ‘I know you’re not telling me the truth look’. “Come and sit down” she patted the empty space next to her on the bed and flashed him a warm smile, despite the happiness that radiates from her he could see the exhaustion behind her eyes. He wasn’t surprised. They were approaching their 28th hour with no sleep and both had just experienced probably the most intense day of their lives.

Sheldon slowly sat down next to Amy. He was hesitant at first, he didn’t want his movements to wake his daughter or cause Amy any unnecessary pain. As soon as he was by Amy’s side, she rested her head against his shoulder and breathed in a sigh of contentment. She never thought she would have this moment, when she first met Sheldon she never imagined that they would be married, let alone start a family together, this moment was something she had dreamt of since she was a little girl. 

“She’s perfect isn’t she” 

This was the first time Sheldon had really seen his daughter, truly seen her. The first time he had really soaked in the shape of her face, her cute little button nose that was unmistakable his and her pouty lips. She was his, theirs forever. He had never known a feeling like this before, he never thought that love could be so strong. He loved Amy in a way that he never thought he would be able to love anyone, but the little girl in his wife’s arms had just increased that love ten times over.

“She is” he agreed. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her, watching her tiny chest rise and fall as she breathed. He wondered what was happening in that little brain of hers, beneath the gentle flutter of her eyelashes what was thinking, feeling and dreaming. Did she already know how loved she was? 

He slowly reached down and gently grazed his index finger against her cheek, her skin was so soft and smooth. She stirred in her mother’s arms, her body gently wriggling as her eyelashes fluttered a little faster and she sucked on her bottom lip. 

“Oh, it’s okay. Daddy just wanted to say hello” Amy whispered. Sheldon let the words play in his head ‘daddy’ he was actually someone dad, a father. “Look how tiny her hands” Amy gushed as she carefully used her finger to lift up one of her dainty hands. 

“She’s very small” Sheldon commented. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a human being so small before.” 

“Do you want to hold her?” Amy asked excitedly, she gave him a gentle nudge, looking up at him she saw his face fall, she knew him well enough to know that there was a whole load of worry behind those eyes. 

“Oh I, I don’t know if I can do that” he could feel his heart racing again. He knew that of course he would have to hold his daughter but she was so small and fragile. She looked like she could just break at any moment. He was also scared of how he would feel, he already felt so incredibly overwhelmed by the events of the day, he knew that holding her would increase all of that and he wasn’t sure he was ready for that. 

“It’s okay. You just hold her in your arms. I promise it isn’t as scary as it looks, once you get that first time out of the way you’ll be an expert” she flashed him another smile and his heart melted, would he ever be able to say no to this woman. He knew she was right, the first time would always be the scariest, he was sure that in a matter of hours he’d be bathing and changing her with this new found confidence he never thought he would possess. He nervously licked his lips. 

“Okay” he rose to his feet so that he didn’t have to perform the task with her in his arms. He figured he would feel more comfortable holding her standing up, his long body didn’t quite fit comfortably on the bed. Gingerly, he held out his arms just like Amy had instructed, before he knew she had slipped their daughter into them. 

“Have you got her?” she asked before she completely removed her arms. 

“Yeah, I have” as soon as daughter was in his arms, her body seemed to shift closer to him, snuggling against his chest. She was so perfect. He had to quickly swallow the lump that had formed in his throat, his heart was swelling again. 

“See you’re a natural” Amy smiled, she never thought she would see the day Sheldon Cooper held a baby, it truly was a beautiful thing. 

“Hello” he spoke quietly to her, aware that if he woke her she would probably cry and then he wouldn’t have a clue what to do. He started to slowly move around the room, relaxing a little with each step he took that didn’t result in him dropping her, even with his movements she remained asleep in his arms.

After a few minutes of pacing he found himself stood next to the window, they were on the 8th floor and he discovered that they had quite a view of the city as darkness started to fall. The whole world whizzing by right before him. Bright lights shining from high rise buildings, car headlights zooming down the roads filled with people desperate to return home to their families after their day at work. It amazed him that for those people out there, their world kept on going whereas his in an instant had completely changed.

He was brought back from his thoughts when he felt the little bundle in his arms start to move. He instantly went to tighten his hold on her, scared that she would roll right out of his arm. She stretched her tiny legs and arms, a tiny yawn escaped her lips and he felt himself melt yet again. She was waking up, her eyes starting to gently flicker. 

“Oh Amy look, she’s opening her eyes” he turned around to excitedly tell Amy however, he found his wife on her side, curled up sound asleep. He definitely wasn’t going to wake her. She needed to rest, no matter how much she protested. 

He smiled to himself before gazing back down at his daughter. In that moment her eyes opened and time completely stood still, it was easy when she was asleep to almost believe that she was some kind of doll. Now he was faced with these big, beautiful dark blue eyes gazing back up at him that completely stopped him in his tracks. He wondered what colour her eyes would eventually be, he had read that all babies start off with the same eye colour with the real colour sometimes taking months to truly show. Would she have his sea blue eyes or her mother’s dark brown? 

“Hello” he spoke again. She was looking up at him, carefully studying his face. She was taking as much of him in as he did with her, he wondered if she knew who he was already. Did she recognise his voice? He had no idea what to say to her, what do you say to someone who can’t verbally respond. “I guess I should start by welcoming you to the world” he gently moved closer to the window as she began to fidget in his arms. “Here it is” he showed her the view of the city that he had found himself getting lost in just moments ago. “This is just a small part of it really. There are approximately 7.594 billion people in the world and you just made that population one more” he explained.

He stopped when he heard the door creep open, a new midwife on shift had obviously stopped by to check on them. Seeing Amy sound asleep and Sheldon clearly managing the situation she muttered a quick apology before leaving. The baby stirred in his arms shuffling closer to his chest.

“It’s can be a big, scary world out there but mummy and I will look after you. Your mum is the most intelligent woman I know, she’s going to be wonderful at this” motherhood really suited Amy, she had taken to her new role like a duck to water, she had this natural ease when she held and spoke to her. “I don’t know how good I’ll be and I might not always get things right the first time but I’ll try”

He couldn’t believe that just a mere few minutes ago he had been scared of holding her, he wanted to now do everything in his power to never have to let her go. She was so special, the lengths he knew he would go to protect her scared him, he had never felt this way about anyone before. In a strange way she completed him, he didn’t know that he had anything missing from his life but as soon as she was placed in his arms it was like it always meant to be.

“I love you very much” he carefully lowered his head and placed a gentle kiss to the top of her head. The next chapter of his life was only just beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Thank you so much for reading. I really hope you have enjoyed it.**
> 
> **I have the writing bug at the minute however, lacking in ideas. If you would like to leave a prompt request please do in the comments and I will try my best to fill them. xx**

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading.
> 
> Please let me know what you think. 
> 
> xx


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